Art & Design Courses - Online & in London
Explore new and exciting subjects within a range of art and design disciplines, develop your skill set, get the support required to change career or launch yourself as a freelance artist or designer. All this and more delivered through our practical and engaging art and design courses at City Lit.
Our range of part-time, weekend and evening art and design classes are taught by successful artists and practitioners to ensure you get the skills, knowledge and experience you want and deserve. From experimental painting and drawing to contemporary jewellery making, there is sure to be a course for you. Study from 1 day to 2 years, whether you are a complete beginner or a practising artist preparing for an MA. Our courses are designed with you in mind, so you get to spend more time doing what you love.
Set a new goal, start your next creative adventure with City Lit and let us support you to realise your ambitions.
Courses available both in-person and online
We offer a range of courses allowing you to choose between online and in-person learning. All our courses are live, interactive, and taught by expert tutors. No matter how you prefer to learn, you’ll receive the same great City Lit experience. See our guide to online learning for more information about accessing our live online courses.
We host exhibitions throughout the year at City Lit Gallery where our students showcase their amazing work.
Any questions? Contact our visual arts team on visual.arts@citylit.ac.uk or call us on 020 7492 2700, Monday to Friday between 10am-12pm or 2pm-4pm.
- Oil painting: focus on light and shadeCourse start date: Fri 1 Jul 2022 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Luke JonesThis oil painting course takes inspiration from the moody and luminous imagery of classic Film Noir such as ‘The Third Man’. Students will explore composition, tonal transition and contrast to enhance their pleasure in oil painting and create strong and powerful paintings.Full fee £189.00 Senior fee £151.00 Concession £115.00 - Bookbinding for beginners: simple leather binding
Course start date: Tue 12 Jul 2022Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Ina BaumeisterDiscover how leather, combined with simple sewing and cutting techniques can create a wonderfully flexible and
stylish bindings. Create books with folded and crossed structure covers, and include some decorative elements to
personalise your work.Full fee £249.00 Senior fee £199.00 Concession £152.00 - Watercolour painting studio: nature and colourCourse start date: Tue 12 Jul 2022 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Hilary RosenCelebrate the glorious colours found in nature by working from observation of natural forms. You will be encouraged to respond to the subject expressively using paint and other colour media to create a number of studies and one or more finished pieces.Full fee £309.00 Senior fee £247.00 Concession £188.00 - City Lit Pro: Adobe InDesign intensiveCourse start date: Wed 13 Jul 2022 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Andrea MarzanoCity Lit Pro courses provide accelerated learning for busy people who need specific skills for the workplace. Whether you work in print or digital media, in our introductory Adobe InDesign course you’ll learn to use the industry-leading page design and layout app that lets you create, pre-flight, and publish beautiful documents. Students should be comfortable with a fast-paced learning environment and have good computer skills.Full fee £349.00 Senior fee £279.00 Concession £175.00 - Ways into abstract paintingCourse start date: Tue 3 May 2022 (and 6 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Mario Lautier VellaEncounter different approaches to making abstract paintings while developing your skills in using a variety of painting materials. With reference to the work of abstract artists explore the visual language common to both representation and abstraction, eg. colour, composition, tone and paint application.Full fee £309.00 Senior fee £247.00 Concession £188.00 - Introduction to jewellery makingCourse start date: Tue 20 Sep 2022 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Louise Seijen Ten HoornLearn and develop a range of essential jewellery making techniques and processes for creating metal jewellery. This course is designed for beginners who would like to gain fundamental skills like sawing, filing, sanding, drilling, texturing, forging and soldering. Explore these techniques in set projects and use them to design and make your own pieces.Full fee £249.00 Senior fee £199.00 Concession £152.00 - Introduction to papier mâchéCourse start date: Tue 19 Jul 2022
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Ro SylvesterWhether working on a stage set, a window display, or just making gifts for friends and family, Paper Mache remains one of the most cost effective and durable modelling materials around. From Venetian masks to decorative Japanese bowls, this medium has stood the test of time. The hardened consistency of Paper Mache makes it an ideal base for a number of exciting finishes and patinas. Replicate the finish of wood, metal, stone and more, to create a lighter and more portable version of sculptures, picture frames and jewellery.Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £91.00 - Get skills in: lithography printmaking techniquesCourse start date: Tue 19 Jul 2022
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Simon BurderLearn how to produce work that mimicks a painterly style using lithography printmaking processes. Lithography printmaking work depends on the delicate balance between grease and water and can provide a broad range of outcomes. Learn how marks and brush strokes drawn and painted on the printing plate can be faithfully reproduced to create bold or subtle prints.Full fee £139.00 Senior fee £111.00 Concession £85.00 - Fine art photography digital printing with Adobe PhotoshopCourse start date: Tue 26 Jul 2022 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Photography Studio
Tutors: Dominic HarrisWant to give your portfolio or exhibition prints the professional edge? This hands-on course will guide you in printing top-quality inkjet (or giclee) prints as used by fine art photographers. Get to grips with Adobe Photoshop and our top-of-the-range Epson photo printers, and experiment with different paper types and inks.Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £91.00 - Drawing and painting from the imaginationCourse start date: Mon 1 Aug 2022 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Online (other locations are available)
Tutors: Clare Barton-HarveyExplore the role of the imagination in painting and drawing. Develop a toolkit of methods for stimulating, sustaining and enriching your imaginative engagement through a series of guided practical painting and drawing exercises.
The aim of the course is to investigate the role of the imagination in drawing and painting and to explore new ways of seeing and experiencing the world around us.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £159.00 Senior fee £127.00 Concession £97.00 - Drawing 1Course start date: Tue 27 Sep 2022 (and 8 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Brian SayersExplore the creative possibilities of drawing, gain confidence and broaden your expectations and understanding. Learn and develop key drawing concepts: function of line, tone, texture, form, composition and mark making through a carefully structured approach.Full fee £389.00 Senior fee £311.00 Concession £253.00 - Pottery: evening courseCourse start date: Tue 26 Apr 2022 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Brigit ConnollyFor those with previous experience who want to work towards their own goals, or for beginners who want to learn hand-building and throwing processes. We'll also cover glazing and surface decoration.Full fee £499.00 Senior fee £399.00 Concession £324.00 - Carving in woodCourse start date: Tue 26 Apr 2022 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Alexandra HarleyHave you ever fancied having a go at sculpting in wood? Or perhaps you are experienced at it but would like expert guidance to develop your ideas? This comprehensive course encourages wood carvers of all levels to bring along their ideas and see how they can be developed. You will learn how to make models of your designs, upscale and transpose these, and use professional carving tools to produce beautiful pieces in wood.Full fee £469.00 Senior fee £375.00 Concession £305.00 - Try it out: animationCourse start date: Tue 13 Sep 2022
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Litza JanszEver fancied producing your own animations for web, devices and video? Come and learn the basics of creating professional-looking drawn animated sequences using the professional software application Animate CC.Full fee £49.00 Senior fee £49.00 Concession £49.00 - Photography for beginnersCourse start date: Tue 13 Sep 2022 (and 9 other dates)
Location on this date: Photography Studio
Tutors: Ed GregoryAlways wondered what half the buttons on your camera actually do? Discover how to use them properly and produce impressive photographs, even as a complete beginner. Gain useful technical knowledge and get expert creative guidance in easy-to-understand language. An ideal first step before enrolling on our intermediate courses.Full fee £319.00 Senior fee £255.00 Concession £207.00
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